Four dishes from Rizal province that you need to try before you die

By Annalyn Ardona

Published October 22, 2015 11:03am

So here’s the deal. I’m a serious backpacker who’s been to eight countries and most of the Philippines. And for me, a great place is not so great without great food. I tagged along with the “Biyahe ni Drew”(BND) team on a “food-venture” to Rizal, a province located two hours south of Manila, as their social media producer for the day and here’s my honest judgment: You have to go to Rizal and eat there. And try these four dishes that are worth drew-ling over.

Suman with latik sauce
P20 per piece, good for one person

^{Unwrapping a delightful gift for your tummy}

Just before the Timberland gate, this stopover for road and mountain bikers may seem uneventful, but do not be fooled, the place is actually heaven on earth after a rigorous bike because they serve one of the country’s most sumptuous suman with latik (*drools while thinking about it). This was not on BND’s “food-venture” itinerary that day. But Ochavez, BND’s cameraman, took us here for a snack because it turns out that he is a Rizal cycling warrior and actually bikes here every weekend. For P20 a piece, the suman (sticky rice) comes with a latik sauce (coconut cream and sugar simmered to perfection) that has just the right amount of sweetness that leaves you wanting more.

Eat it here:
Marc's View Deck and Cycling Station
Address:Timberland, San Mateo, Rizal
Contact number: +63 2 571 8319

Dinilawang Kanduli sa Alagaw
P200, good for three to four persons

Not much to look at, but this dish would give sinigang sa miso a run for its money

A restaurant in Angono known for cooking everything with “buro,” a Filipino condiment made from fermented rice with shrimp, gave us around four dishes to feast on. But the one that stood out the most for me is this yellow soup that’s reminiscent of sinigang sa miso but not as sour to the taste.

If sinigang is made sour by tamarind, Dinilawang Kanduli sa Alagaw gets its slightly tangy taste from turmeric. This dish is really healthy too for having alagaw, a medicinal plant found only in the Philippines, which was published in studies to have virus, bacteria, and parasite -fighting properties. It’s almost too good to be true for something so healthy to taste this good.

Eat it here:
Balaw Balaw Specialty Restaurant
Address: Don Justo, Doña Justa Village, San Roque, Angono, Rizal
Contact number: +63 2 651 0110

Golden Brewed Fried Chicken
P280, good for four to five persons

This chicken did not last long. It was gone in under five minutes.

A restaurant-resort in Tanay found the elusive secret to a happy life and made it into a dish. Coffee and chicken lovers can now unite because this fried (but not oily) chicken was flavored with three kinds of coffee: Arabica, Barako, and Robusta.

This dish has the addicting effect of coffee (but wait, chicken has that too) and has that kick that makes me wish I took a time lapse on how it was attacked and devoured by the BND crew. But I can’t because I had to fight for my chicken too!

Eat it here:
The Gathering Cafe and Tanay Hills Coffee Beanery
Address: Marcos Highway, Purok 2 , Gate 1, Capinpin, Barangay Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal
Contact number: +63 925 805 2969

Bacon Maple Gourmet Turon
P40, good for one person

Bacon maple gourmet turon

Other variations of the gourmet turon are cookies and cream, salted caramel, and rocky road.

“Turon” or deep-fried banana roll glazed with brown sugar is in itself a treat, but a dessert café in Angono is taking that a notch higher by serving it “gourmet style” with sweet white cream and different toppings. This dessert can suffer from being too sweet, but thanks to the salty bacon, it all balances out so well that you will want another piece.

Eat it here:
The Sweet Life

Address: 2F Skye One Bldg., Manila East Rd., Angono, Rizal

Contact number: +63 917 513 9256

Get to know more about these dishes on Biyahe ni Drew this Friday, 8 PM on GMA News TV. Drew will also take you on a tour to Rizal’s exciting adventures where you can burn all the calories so you can munch on all these dishes without guilt!—BMS, GMA Public Affairs

Tags: webexclusive, rizal, biyahenidrew, food, travel